Welcome to the neighborhood

Syracuse and Pitt are the newcomers in a league that has expanded to 14 teams and will grow by another when Louisville comes on board next season.

But what will they bring?

Pitt qualified for the BBVA Compass Bowl last season after winning six games, including a win over Rutgers. That was a big boost since the Panthers started the year 2-5 before turning the corner. But this year’s bunch will look much different. Starting quarterback Tino Sunseri has graduated, and Rushel Shell, who was expected to be the starting tailback, has left the program. Luckily, gifted receiver Devin Street, a preseason All-ACC selection by Sporting News, is back.

If the Panthers have a big hole to fill at quarterback, the Orange have a crater. Ryan Nassib passed for 3,749 yards and 26 touchdowns. On top of that, many of the team’s top players on defense were seniors.

The programs are new to the league, but there are also a few new coaches. Dave Doeren steps up to the BCS level, leaving his MAC champion Northern Illinois squad to take over North Carolina State. Scott Shafer will be in his first year as head coach at Syracuse, replacing new Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone. Steve Addazio, after two years at Temple, is at the helm at Boston College.

Under the radar

Bucky Brooks, an analyst for NFL.com, made an observation at the recent Manning Passing Academy that may come as a shock for many: “Stephen Morris might be the most talented quarterback in college football.” The Miami quarterback is in the same league as Clemson’s projected first round NFL draft pick, Tajh Boyd. Still, it was Morris grabbing Brooks’ attention. As a junior, Morris passed for 3,345 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Hurricanes. “Most impressively, he is deadly accurate, capable of making pinpoint throws to every area of the field.” That’s even more praise than we’ve heard from his coach, Al Golden.

Duke cornerback Ross Cockreall is another impact player who is hardly a household name. Many consider him one of the top 10 cornerbacks in the 2014 NFL draft. He picked off five passes last year and had a career-best 71 tackles.

Another player who’ll garner some deserved attention this season is Wake Forest receiver Michael Campanaro. A broken hand slowed him some last season, but he is dangerous weapon who averaged 9.7 yards a catch on a 5-7 team.

Can’t wait to see

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd will be a top 10 NFL Draft pick unless something goes horribly wrong. He should also be in contention for the Heisman. But, the Tigers have a tough road ahead. They open against Georgia, and must face division rival Florida State and in-state rival South Carolina.

Miami running back Duke Johnson and Maryland receiver Stefon Diggs—sophomores with next-level talent. Diggs was in a bad spot last year as the Terrapins’ offense was hamstrung by injuries. But, he’ll breakout in 2013. Johnson could be one of the country’s five-best running backs.